Improvement in machines for stripping, booking, and registering tobacco



Z Sheets-Sheet}.

D. H. HULL. MACHINES FOR STRIPPING,;BOOKING-AND REGISTERING TOBACCO.

N0.'173,O09. Patented Feb. 1,1876.

N. PErERs, PHOTb-LITHOGRAPNEIL WASMINGTON. D. C.

' I ZSheets-SheetZQ D. H. HULL.

MACHINES FOR STRI-PPIITG, BOOKING AND REGISTERING TOBACCO.

110.173.009/ Patented Feb. 1, 187.6.

N.'PETERS, FHOTO-LITNOGRAFHER. WASHINGYDN D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrroag DAVID HULL, OF SYRAGUSE,NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES F OR STRIPPING, BOOKING. AND REGISTERINGTOBACCO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,009, dated February 1, 1876; application filed l October 3, 1874.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID H. HULL, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York; have invented a new and Improved Machine for Stripping, Booking, and Registering Tobacco, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents an end elevation of my improved tobacco stripping, booking, and registering machine; Fig. 2, a detail vertical "transverse section through swinging-sector parts, showing the-"spring cutting-knives in separated position'. I Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine on the line 0 c, Fig. l; and

or booking roller.

- produce a saving in the material as well as in and claimed.

the time and labor required.-

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described Inthe drawing, A represents the supporting-frame of my improved tobacco stripper, .booker, and register, which is made of the required size, strength, and material, with bearings for the shaftof the swinging sections at p the lower, and bearings for thefeeding-rollers at the upper, part thereo The motive-power is imparted either by foot-power to atreadle, or by other power placed in connection with the machine. The power is transmitted-from the treadle crankshaft. to the shaft of the lower feed-roller by grooved friction-pulleys and cords or belts, in connection with a clutch mechanism, which alternately reverses the motion of the feed-roller, in the usual manner,

when engaged by the side projecting inclined hook at of the sector-shaped supporting-frame B with the arc-shaped leaf-sections H.

Side cog-wheels of the lower feedroller D intermesh with the toothed circumference of the sector-frame B, and produce thereby the rotary vibrating motion of the same around it's shaft Bhirame B being properly balanced by a weighted segment, B attached thereto,

for promoting the easy swinging of frame B.

The upper or front feed-rollers D are rotated in similar manner 'by means of side gear wheels, meshing with those of the lower feedroller D. The upper rollers D are provided with central circumferential. grooves b, for the passage of the stem of the tobaccoleaf, guiding the same steadily to the spring-knives. The leaf is conducted to the upper feed-rollers over a stationaryv shaft, E, having central stem-groove d and a series of symmetrical sidewise-inclined smaller grooves, d, Fig.4, forflattening and spreading the leaf in its passage to the feed-rollers.

Moistening troughs or boxes F are arranged laterally above and sidewise of the feed-rollers, and adjusted by set-screws e at the sides of frame A, so as to be placed closer or; farther from the-rollers, and be readily. detached, for refilling them with small sponge or other material for conveying the moisture uniformly to the rollers. The moistening serves'the twofold purpose of keeping the rollers perfectly;

clean and smooth, without taking up. any sticky or adhesive particles from the'leaves,

so as to retard or obstruct the easy passage of I the same, and also for imparting such a degree of moisture to the leaves that they become pliable, and adhere readily to each other in registering.

The'trdugh of thetop roller Dhas a central partition,'for preventing the moistenin g of the stem-groove, both upper feed-rollers D being,

' furthermore, provided at the central grooves with clearer-springs f, which prevent the filling up of the grooves by adhering stem-pieces or other parts.

Suitable bands G are wound on a loose top roller, G at suitable distancesfrom each other, and tightened, thereon by a weight, G

suspended by a winding-cord from the shaft of the same. The bands G pass between'the lower feed-roller D and feed-roller Djback-toward the end of the vibrating frame B, being 1 firmly attached thereto.

The motion of frame B in forward direction unwinds the bands G from the roller, and

stretches them tightly over the adjustableleafsupporting sections 'H of the same, winding of the cutting-knives.

up simultaneously the weight of roller G. The return motion of frame B ,throws the weight into action, and produces thereby thetight winding up of the bands on the roller G as they graduallyleave the surface of the sections H. The bands G serve for taking up the spread and flattened leaf from the feed-rollers and knives, and retain the cut sections of the same on the supporters H for booking and registering.

The cutting-knives I are arranged centrally to frame B and intermediately between the leaf-supporting sections H. They are attached along the circumference of sectorshaped frames 1, keyed to shaft B, and vibrate therewith. The outer ends of the radial arms of the spring-frames l are inclined toward each other, to produce the contact and spring action A central circumferential collar or shoulder, g, of the lower feedroller D enters between the spring cuttingknives, and causes their spreading for the cutting and dropping of the stems between the same. Shoulder g presses also on the top of the stem,and exposes the same thereby to the cutting action. of the spring-knives, so that the semi-sections of the leaf are severed closely along the stem, without ragged edge or waste of material, which has hitherto been a source of considerable annoyance and loss.

The arc-shaped leaf-supporters H slide concentrically to shaft B between the knives and the outer part of frame B, being attached with ftheir straight end parts by connecting belts .or aprons H to transverse end rollers H of frame B.

By turning rollers El and winding the aprons H around the same the sliding supporters are carried in outward direction until close to the edge of the cutting-knives, owing to their bein g lowered, so that the moist leaf-sections are instan tly, after the separation of the stem, placed thereon. In proportion as the leaf-sections of tobacco are collected in layers on the supporters, forming a book ofincreasing thickness thereon, the aprons are gradually unwound from their rollers, and produce thereby the receding or lowering of the leaf-supportin g sections until a sufficient number is placed thereon.

The leaf-sections of tobacco are retained during the return motion of the supporters, after being spread thereon, by the bands G, partly by their adhesion and partly by springstretched registeringcords h, which are tached to one end of frame B, and carried over the supporters, along the cutting-knives, and over grooved top guide-rollers h, back of the feeding-rollers, to a band-spring, 71?, at the opposite end of the frame B, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The leaf-registering cords do not interfere with the motion of the leaf during the stripping and booking operations, but take hold of the divided sections as soon as the motion of the reciprocating frame is reversed and the bands wound around their top roller.

The attendant feeds the leaves'to the feedrollers when the reciprocating frame, with the knives and supporting-sections, is in position toward him, the forward motion producing the cutting and spreading, the return motion the registering, of the leaf. The leaves are finally taken off, booked, and registered, to be cut into binders or wrappers, saving thereby considerable time, while the machine performs the various operations with regularity, economy, and dispatch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l 1. In a machine for stripping, booking, and registering tobacco-leaves, the combination of the vibrating sector-shaped frame B,central cutting-knives I, adjust-able, leaf-supporting sections H, feed-rollers D g D, bands G, and registering-cords h, all constructed and arranged as herein described, tooperate in the manner set forth.

2. The upper or front feed-rollers D, having central stem-passing grooves b, in combination with the stationary spreading-shaft E, provided with central and inclined side grooves d d, for producing regular and smooth feeding of leaves, all constructedas shown and specified.

DAVID H. HULL.

Witnesses:

EDWD. A. DILLENBEGK, J A0013 K. SGHERMERHORN. 

